Ranchi: The Birsa Zoo here in the Jharkhand capital is under the shroud of a gloom after four tiger cubs born to Gauri died within hours in a freak accident.
The tigress which was relocated six years back from Chhattisgarh, crushed her newborns under her own weight as she had no prior experience of giving birth, the zoo officials said.
The incident took place at Birsa Biological Park, located about 15 km from Ranchi on May 10.
As per zoo authorities, Gauri gave birth around midnight. She was being monitored via CCTV and yet the management failed to prevent the tragedy.
According to the management of Birsa Biological Park, all newborn cubs had come close to the mother after birth. When the mother changed positions, the cubs were trapped underneath her.
According to the zoo’s veterinarian, O.P. Sahu, tigress Gauri accidentally crushed them with her weight when she turned side.
He said, “The mother had no experience of caring for the cubs. Gauri did not realise that she had turned over her newborn cubs.
“On May 11, the cubs died due to suffocation under the mother’s weight.”
When the management learned of this, they intervened and removed the cubs from her. Three cubs had already died, while one was still breathing, but it also succumbed before it could be saved.”
UNI